England winger Anthony Gordon has opened up on the bizarre conclusion to his Newcastle United career, delivering a classy message of gratitude to Eddie Howe despite being ruthlessly frozen out of the squad.
The 24-year-old forward recently completed a blockbuster £70 million transfer to Barcelona just weeks after the Premier League season concluded.
However, his final month on Tyneside raised eyebrows across the division, as Gordon was left as an unused substitute for Newcastle’s final four matches. While fans questioned why one of their star assets was rotting on the bench, Gordon has now revealed the tactical—and physical—genius behind Howe’s decision.
The Inside Story: Why Eddie Howe Benched a £70m Star
Speaking directly from England’s World Cup basecamp ahead of their massive opening group match against Croatia on Wednesday night, Gordon explained that his omission was a calculated plan to protect him from tournament heartbreak.
During Euro 2024, Gordon entered the camp completely exhausted and nursing a knock picked up in his final game for Newcastle, leaving him a deeply frustrated spectator bar one late cameo. This time, Howe recognized that Gordon’s mega-money move to Barcelona was already a done deal and prioritized players who would actually be at St James’ Park next season—giving Gordon the ultimate gift of rest.
“He had a lot going on right until the very end of the season,” Gordon told England’s media channel. “I had a different end to the season in terms of… I wasn’t playing the last couple of games. So I feel mentally and physically in an amazing place. I’m very, very fresh.
I went to the last tournament, the Euros, and I picked up an injury in the second-to-last game for Newcastle. So it was very important for me this time to come in physically fresh and I’ve been able to do that. So I’m very grateful.”
Gordon’s physical freshness has paid off massively, with Thomas Tuchel heavily tipped to hand the newly minted Barcelona star the starting spot on the left wing for the Three Lions’ World Cup opener.
The Dark Contrast: Tino Livramento’s World Cup Nightmare
Gordon’s pristine physical state stands in tragic, direct contrast to his former Newcastle teammate Tino Livramento.
While Gordon was wrapped in cotton wool, Livramento endured a grueling, injury-ravaged run-in. Despite battling back from a persistent thigh strain that forced him to miss Newcastle’s final six matches, the 23-year-old fullback’s luck completely ran out.
After flying out to North America with Tuchel’s squad, Livramento suffered a devastating calf tear during training in Sunday’s session. He has officially been forced to withdraw from the World Cup entirely, heading back to Tyneside for immediate rehabilitation while Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah takes his place in the squad.
Nine Lessons to Mastery: Gordon Wows Barcelona Media
If his footballing conditioning wasn’t impressive enough, Gordon has already sent shockwaves through Spain by delivering his official Barcelona unveiling press conference in fluent Spanish.
The winger jokingly admitted that his rapid linguistic development has shocked everyone, especially considering his self-proclaimed intellectual limits.
“It’s difficult. Everyone only sees the end results and assumes it’s easy,” Gordon laughed. “You’re trying to translate everything you’re thinking in English to Spanish. It’s really hard. I’ve had nine lessons now, I’ve had a couple more while I’ve been in camp. I’m not intellectually smart, to be honest.
I’ve always kind of spoken a little bit of Spanish with my physio at Newcastle. But in terms of actual lessons, I’ve had nine now.”
With his mind clear, his body rested, and his future secured at the Camp Nou, Anthony Gordon looks perfectly primed to take the 2026 World Cup by storm.
